Visionary South African entrepreneurs were rewarded this week at the 14th SAB KickStart awards at the Sandton Sun hotel. Finalists included companies in hospitality, design, manufacturing and construction.
Business of the Year: Sooveir Rajkumar with his Meatalicious products
The KickStart program is an initiative developed and funded by SAB, the world’s second largest brewery, to give previously disadvantaged youths aged between 18 and 35 an opportunity to start or grow their own businesses.
Business of the Year
The award for Business of the Year went to Sooveir Rajkumar and his company Meatalicious (trading as the Boastful Butcher). Rajkumar received prize money of R200 000 for his success in developing a range of healthy, innovative and Halaal burger patties. He is also the creator of the first commercial prawn burger patties in South Africa, sold in Spar and Checkers outlets in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The brothers Lonwabo and Lubuyo Rani of Silulo Ulotho Technologies in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, won second prize of R150 000. Their company provides computer access, training, sales and repairs at seven centers and Internet cafes in Khayelitsha and Guguletho.
Third place went to Reggie Makheta, owner of the Roots Restaurant and Gallery in Soweto. His restaurant is the first in Soweto to combine traditional Sowetan meals with an art gallery, and is helping to change the culinary landscape of the township.
Development category
In the development category the winner of R150 000 was Tshepo Makhavu of Mabunga Toilets. The 33-year old won first prize for his initiative of installing cost effective and durable stand-alone concrete toilets of his own design in the rural community of Thohoyando.
Other awards in the development category went to Tebogo Mashego, a 27-year old woman who runs Diep K Steel & Aluminum, a manufacturing business in Booysens, Gauteng and Vusi Sibisi, owner of Vuma Tech Engineering in Soweto.
KickStart class of 2008
This year’s KickStart finalists were selected from a group of about 120 candidates chosen to attend business skills training courses, before preparing a business plan. The most successful business plans were rewarded with a seed capital grant of between R50 000 and R150 000.
After six months of mentoring, three businesses were selected from each region based on their use of the grant money, the performance and sustainability of their businesses and the impact KickStart had on their companies. Top performers won further mentoring and additional grant money.
Program success
South Africa has one of the lowest levels of entrepreneurship in the world with entrepreneurs contributing around 35% of GDP, compared to 60% in countries like Brazil and India. Fewer than 20% of those who start their own business survive past the first two years.
According to SAB, 81% of the companies that received KickStart grants since 2001 were still in business 3 years later. The combined turnover of grant winners was more than R95 million per year and the growth in full time jobs created was 100%.
“SAB has always been determined that KickStart be a sustainable program. I am delighted that this year’s finalists have taken as much from the mentoring program and training as they did from the monetary grants they received,” said Dr Vincent Maphai, SAB Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation.
SAB has invested more than R45 million in funding grants in the KickStart program since 1995.
No comments:
Post a Comment